In a Beautiful World
by darkangel9314
Summary: Set during and after the scenes of 7x22, Damon has been take n by the creature and is fighting for his life and his soul. Who will win out and is there something more sinister than he imagined going on?
1. Chapter 1

In a Beautiful World

Chapter 1

Author's note: All rights belong to the writer of the Vampire Diaries Julie Plec for this first chapter. I'll be using the dialogue from the scene where Damon gets possessed and the Enzo and Damon scenes after that , but after that this will be my original story. Thank you all for your patience and understanding and please enjoy In a Beautiful World!

After losing the love of his life, Damon Salvatore thought he couldn't lose anything else that he valued more. That statement had proven to be false. Walking through the tunnels under the building that was run by the armory, Damon knew how much danger he would be in if he ran into the beast. Luckily for him he had a back up idea.

He pulled out his phone and dialed the only other person whose voice he wanted to hear right now.

"If you think this means your forgiven-"

Damon smirked to himself glad to hear the voice of his friend Bonnie Bennett on the other line. It had worked they had finally brought her back to the old Bonnie she was before. Now all he had to do was find a way to keep her on the line, so if he got himself into trouble someone would know about it. After all Stefan and Caroline were only miles away. Surely if something went wrong Bonnie would be able to inform them. But for now all he wanted was to poke a little fun at her. Like they used to do before he betrayed her trust and abandoned her. Yeah. It wasn't one of his finer moments.

"I am so forgiven."

"You're kinda forgiven."

"Ugh would it have killed you to do it five minutes ago?" Enzo said.

Now he knew he defiantly had to joke around.

"Wait. Enzo is still alive Damn. I didn't wait long enough."

"Thank you." Bonnie said after Enzo scoffed.

He didn't want to be forgiven just yet. He needed to do more for her than just this.

"Thank me in person with a kiss and-"

Before he could finish his sentence he heard a voice call out his name. No it couldn't be hers. She was in stuck in some magical coma that a psychopath had placed on her. He had to get out of there before the worst happened.

"Damon."

There I was again. Her voice. No this couldn't be real. Could it? I mean the armory had played some nasty games with them before. Maybe. Just maybe it was really her. He yearned to touch her again to feel her again. To devour her with kisses and never let her go. He couldn't just let her go again. He wouldn't.

"Elena?" he said into the dark. It was like a miracle had happened.

"What did you just say?"

He had been so distracted by Elena he had totally forgotten that Bonnie and Enzo were on the other line. He had to tell her what was going on. Just in case- Wait what was he so afraid of again. He couldn't remember all he knew was that the love of his life was down there somewhere and she needed his help. He needed to find Elena before it was too late.

"I can hear her in the vault." He told Bonnie. Maybe she could help him.

"Damon, Elena is in a warehouse in Brooklyn." she said as if trying to convince him of something.

She was wrong Elena had to be there. He couldn't have imagined a voice that real. He didn't care if he died protecting his one true love. He had to remember that and not listen to anyone else. Maybe if he stayed there for just a little while longer he could find her and take her home with him. They could be everything they always wanted.

"I know but-"

Than the memories of being with Elena overwhelmed him. He remembered every detail about their relationship and how she would have never gave up on him if she were I n trouble. The memories started out simple enough.

He remembered the touch of her hand as they danced their final dance together. It had only been in her head, but to him it had felt so real. So genuine. And than flashed an older memory of when he had watched her sleep for the first time. He didn't know that that girl in the bed would mean the world to him at the time, but she had. She still did. Even after all these years.

He took another agonized step as he remembered the first time they gave into their feeling for each other. He remembered how good it felt and how it had felt so right. So real. Than he remembered their kiss at the alter where he had promised to become human with her. That had to be the realest emotion he had ever felt. And now he could have it again if he just kept going.

"Damon." Elena said again drawing him closer.

"What if something happened to her?"

"Help me." Elena said.

"What if the armory took her?"

"They didn't" Enzo said urgently.

"Please." Elena said again.

He didn't know what he had told Enzo because the memories were piling up on him now drawing him close to her.

"Damon! Get out of there!"

Enzo didn't know. He couldn't feel it like Damon did.

Every kiss every touch replayed in his memory. It was like a sirens call and he just couldn't stop until he found her.

"Please help me."

There it was again the voice of desperation. The voice of his girlfriend needing him just as much as he needed her. He couldn't pay attention with these noises in the background so he hung up so he could concentrate on finding her.

"I'm so Alone. I need you." she said.

If only she knew how much he needed her too. A shape passed by him in the cave. It was her. He just knew it.

"Where are you?" he said suddenly feeling hope again.

"Right here." she said more serious as if she were right behind him.

He turned around and felt instant terror only seeing the creature in front of him for a split second before his world went black.

Waking up had never hurt as much as it did when he woke up afterwards. He expected to wake up in the caves again next to whatever that creature was who attacked him, but instead all he woke up to was the sounds of birds chipping and his living room couch. Had Stefan gotten him out of the cave in time?

"I'm afraid not darling."

He jumped up and looked into the eyes of a woman whose beauty he couldn't explain. Had this been the evil that everyone had warned him about. She sure didn't look evil with her long black hair in violet eyes, but this was not how she looked like in the cave. What game was she playing?

"Who are you?" he said looking at the creature almost wishing that she would go back to her true form.

"I am many things Damon Salvatore. I am everything and nothing at all. I am you friend, your lover, and your enemy all in one. I am not someone you want to cross, but for all intents and purposes you may call me Sybil."

Damon looked at her in puzzlement. This girl must have been crazy.

"Well it was nice meeting you and all Sybil, I really have to get going. You know people to see, things to do, A fucked up world that needs saving."

She smiled and touched Damon' s arm causing him to flinch. Her touch had burned and it wasn't in a good way.

"You're under my control Damon Salvatore. You might as well get comfortable while your here."

":And what is here?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now let's talk about your desires."

"My desires?"

"Yes forgive me, but when we were in the caves I took a little peak into your mind. Call it a hallucination of sorts. I used it to possess you."

"And why would you do that?"

"I've been in that cave for ages Damon. I just need to reek a little havoc."

"And what happened to me?"

She smiled taping on her lips as to tell him that that was all a secret.

"Let's just say your body and your mind are under my control. Everyone thinks I'm you and your friend-"

"Wait how can you possess two people at once?"

"I'm a very talented Woman Damon. I can show you if you please."

"Thanks, but I'm not that desperate, but if your in control of me, how come I'm having a conversation with you."

"You see that's the tricky part. I can't fully posses a person because the essence of their being is untouchable. I can influence their actions and other sorts, but they can break through every now and again."

"Then teach me how."

"But where's the fun in that?"

He flipped the table that was in front of them and was surprised when she didn't even flinch. Instead she laughed.

" Did you really think that would scare me? Come on Damon, you have to do better than that."

He snapped the leg off the table and was inches away from throwing it at her when she threw him into a wall instead with no more than a flick of the eyebrow.

"Poor, sweet Naive Damon. Don;t you know by now that you can't defeat me. I am you. I am everyone you know. Everyone you love. Which can either be a good or bad thing. I can hurt you or I can give you the things you desire most. The choice is yours. "

"I will never give into you."

"Oh but sweetie. You already have."

Before he could say anything the world went blank

The next time he woke up he groaned, but this time he wasn't in his house. He was in the place where all this had started. He was in the barn where Elena had-

He couldn't think of that right now. All he knew was that somehow he was himself, but not himself at the same time. How was this possible that he existed in two places. One of side of him was the side that love had won over and the other-

Oh no it was just as Stefan and Caroline had feared. This wasn't him. It was the essence of him that was left behind. The one that knew he was being possessed but couldn't do a damn thing about it. He just had to live like this. Like how Sybil wanted him to until he could find a way to stop her. But how?

"Damon?"

No it couldn't be. This was just another one of Sybil's stupid mind games that she had used to posses him. But if this wasn't real than why would Sybil bother with it in the first place? He shook his head. This couldn't be real.

"Damon? What- what are you doing here?"

He turned around. He knew he shouldn't have done it, but even if Sybil was messing with him he just wanted to see her face. He had to see her face.

It sure looked like her, but a more washed out version of her. A version of her that was more dead than alive. Her brown hair that used to be so full of life laid tangled and useless on her shoulders. Her skin that naturally glowed was now paler than usual. And her eyes. The eyes that had been so full of light and love were now lifeless. What had happened to her?

"Cut the crap Sybil. I know it's you."

Her eyebrows stitched together in confusion as she stepped closer to Damon.

"Whose Sybil. Damon it's me Elena. I don't know how you found me in this place, but I'm glad you did it's been a rough couple of years Damon. You have no clue what it's like being a living corpse in your own body."

"Actually I know about that a little too well right now."

"What happened Damon? Tell me."

"How do I know if you aren't in my head?"

Elena rolled her eyes and stepped closer to him. He almost shoved her away to protect himself, but than her lips landed on his just as real as it could ever be, but how she was supposed to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. It wasn't safe for her here.

"Elena. You have to get out of here. It's not safe."

"Damon, I'm stuck here just as much as you are."

"What is here?"

Before Elena answered, she gasped as an arrow flew into her chest. Blood poured down the front of her shirt as Damon tried but mostly failed to pull the arrow out. Elena gasped in short breaths as she coughed up blood. No this couldn't be happening again.

Damon looked up to see Sybil smiling with the bow in her hand. She had done this to Elena. How dare she?

"Oh don't worry Damon. She's fine. No once can really die here. Well not completely anyway."

He narrowed his eyes at her as he held a now dead Elena in his arms. This bitch would get what she deserved when he found a way out of this. Before he could attack Sybil Elena gasped and scrabbled to get closer to Damon. She was alright. What had just happened?

"Now that Damon is in the right state of mind again. I'm going to make you a deal. "

"What deal- What are you going to-"

Before Elena could get a word out her neck snapped and than she disappeared into thin air.

"What did you do to her?"

"It's a part of the deal."

"What deal?"

"I'm going to posses you either way whenever you want, but I need you to be reckless. To be heartless. Well at least in the real world. I can do it to you. I'll do so anyway, but I'd rather this not hurt as much. Give up Damon. Surrender yourself to me and it'll all be over."

Anger flowed through Damon as he stared at the Elena's blood that still stained the ground. He would find her again. He knew he would.

"over my dead body." he said smiling.

Damon Salvatore did not go down without a fight. Sybil smiled back at him.

"As you wish." she said and than once again his world turned black.


	2. Chapter 2

In A Beautiful World

Chapter 2

The following chapter contain scenes from Vampire Diaries season 6&7 finale. I do not own the rights to these scenes all credit goes to the lovely Julie Plec and her team of writers.

Visions swept across his vision as he remembered the one day he had lost the love of his life. They were probably one of the most dysfunctional couples that he had ever set eyes on but somehow they completed each other so well. And most importantly of all they were finally going to be happy. That night he had planned to take the cure from her and they would start their human lives together away from this place no matter what normal everyday problems smacked them in the face. As long as they were happy it didn't matter.

Before he knew it they were upstairs in the barn, her long brown hair swaying back and forth as her hungry lips met his as he lowered her down into the hey taking her dress off and looking down at her gorgeous form as he took her right there and then. He just couldn't help it. He had to have her. This woman who had quite literally saved his life. He had no idea who he would be without her and it terrified him.

Elena ran her hand across his face bringing him back to her as she stretched up and kissed him on the lips smiling.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore." she said bringing his lips back to hers in a passionate kiss.

He responded to her giving her a kiss and continuing what they started as his hips moved with her matching her moans, but when he pulled away to look at Elena's face she wasn't there anymore instead she was replaced by Sybil. Damon shoved himself away getting himself out of the wretched woman and backing away hitting a post with his back just so he could get away for her. Sybil sat up laughing and turning her naked body towards him. How dare she interfered with his memories. Those were his and Elena's. She had no right being in them.

"Hmm. I could see why Elena loved you so much. You seem like such an animal in the sack. I always wondered why girls liked Stefan more when you're obviously the best thing that they could ever ask for."

"You have no right being here and replacing her. She was the love of my life not some kind of character you could pretend to play. Also how the hell do you know my brother?"

"Only time will tell my little minx, but until then let's have a little more fun."

Damon's head felt as if it were exploding as she transported him to his next memory all he saw was Elena smiling at him before the scene paused as if he were suspended in that moment. The last smile he would see from the love of his life before she died. Why did this demon have to chose memories that were so painful?

Just as he thought of Sybil she appeared beyond Elena looking as beautiful and as deadly as ever. Thankfully she was clothed this time and sported a red dress that hugged the curves of her body. Damon had to admit this creature was far more beautiful than the one he had seen in the tombs but right now he prayed for that creature. It would be easier to destroy her if she obviously hadn't looked so human and vulnerable.

"What are you doing?" he asked her as she picked a lock of Elena's silky brown hair and ran her fingers through it seeming more amused than he would like.

"Such a pretty face. What a shame she will have to die soon. Unless you want to somehow change that."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm offering you a chance or rather a deal. I will give you one last chance to save the love of your life and one chance only, but if you fail you just give me what I desire. "

"And what is that?"

"I want you. I want all of you. And I also want Enzo. I got a taste of him in his sister's mind and he intrigues me. If you succeed I'll grant you the one spell in existence that can awake her and sever the tie she has to Bonnie so they both can live. You can finally get your happily ever after and if you lose than you must forget about her and be mine along with Enzo. Do we have a deal?"

Damon wanted nothing more than to tell Sybil to go to hell and that he wasn't about to play her twisted little mind games and then he looked upon Elena's face, so happy in that moment that he would do anything to get that happily ever after with her even if it was the smallest chance. He had to do it. He had to do it for her and for himself.

"Fine I accept."

"Good. First things first though."

Before Damon could think Sybil was on him and her teeth sank into the soft flesh of his wrist. He cried out in pain for a single second before she unlatched her teeth and smiled at him with her mouth stained red. What had just happened?

"Just to assure you can't back out. Good luck Damon Salvatore."

The next time he blinked the scene was playing on. And at that moment he did the only thing that he could think to do in this situation."

"Jo watch out it's Kai!"

Jo turned away from the stabbing knife that was about to go in her back as Damon used his vampire speed to get over to Elena looking into those eyes.

"I love you Elena. Please never forget that." He said before turning to the horrific scene in front of him.

Jo was standing there with her mouth hanging open in a frozen scream as she noticed the stab wound that had now penetrated Alaric. He couldn't worry about him now as he rushed over to Jo and got her to the other side of the building rushing over to Alaric to feed him blood.

"Damon!" Elena said looking at him in shock. "What's happen-"

Before she could get a word out blood pooled on the middle of Elena's dress as Damon saw Kai materialize with the knife pressed firmly in Elena's back.

"NOOOO!" Damon yelled as he rushed over to Elena's collapsing body and caught her in his arms.

He sank his teeth into his wrist and tried to feed it to Elena, but he knew it was too late. Kai had already put her in that curse. Kai had already killed her. He had won and so had Sybil.

"I'm so sorry Elena." He said placing a gentle kiss to Elena's lips before Kai ruined the scene before him making the world go black.

The next time Damon had awoke he found himself in the hard rebel of the tomb floor as his wrist ached where Sybil had bit him. Now all he had to do was wait there and await her instructions. Only her true physical form never came. He was once again faced with a monster that had scales and eyes so black that it felt like you were being dragged into the deepest pits of hell. He had been through hell once before and he had no intention of ever going back.

"Sad that you could not save her, but I do not pity you for now I can use you to do my bidding."

Before Damon could ask what she wanted a voice called out his name.

"Damon."

The creature smiled as if it were their lucky day.

"Now is the time to prove yourself to me. Don't disappoint and then the creature sunk into the shadows. Damon tried to warn Enzo about the creature but every time he tried the words would just not come out. What the hell was this?

"Don't try to cross me." the voice in his head warned as Enzo continued to talk.

Finally after a bit Enzo entered his line of vision as he raced over to him thankful he was alone so no one would have to witness him like this.

"Just you?" he said still trying to form actual words that seemed to fail him.

Enzo looked at him with a look of confusion on his face but answered him anyway.

"Snuck off. I didn't feel like playing paper, scissors, stone over who was gonna save your life."

"That's very heroic of you."

"I don't leave people behind. Not my style. Plus my girl seems to think that you're her best friend. And from what I can tell heroes always do right by their girl."

If the monster wasn't in Damon's mind he would have agreed with Enzo but he had a new mission at hand now and he couldn't fail it seeing as how the consequences of disobedient might be deadly by this point. So he did the only thing he could do to make the moment easier. He turned it off. He knew Elena wouldn't have wanted that but he was still holding on to her in case a situation arised where he would need his humanity again. This was not one of those times.

"Then I should warn you. Doesn't always work out so great." Damon said thinking about all the times he had failed in trying to save Elena in the past twenty four hours.

"I had a feeling."

"But don't worry, It's not as bad as you think. It only hurts at first-" he said as he watched Sybil get closer to Enzo. " And after that...It's kinda fun."

Than Sybil grabbed Enzo plunging Enzo into the world of darkness and leaving Damon alone once more.


	3. Chapter 3

In A Beautiful World

Chapter 3

Damon gasped in a breath of fresh air as he woke up in Sybil's dream landscape once again. Dammit. How the hell was he expected to escape this creature if he wasn't one hundred percent certain who the hell she was. He kicked the gravel hard ashamed at what he had made him do to Enzo as he sat down on a nearby rock waiting for him to show up. He knew that the confrontation wouldn't be pretty, but it wouldn't be anything less than what he deserved at this point. He had been a shitty person as of lately and he was only sure that he was going to get a lot worse as time passed. He only hoped that no matter how bad things got his family and friends would find some way to forgive him. They had to or else he wouldn't be sure what he was supposed to do.

A loud thump to his side drew his attention to what it was as he looked over and saw Enzo on his hands and knees breathing heavily. He looked up at Damon with a intense rage in his eyes as Damon got up off the rock only for Enzo to lunge at him and throw the full force of their bodies to the ground like Damon had expected him to do.

"Nice to see you too buddy." Damon said with a sly smile that made Enzo send a punch to the side of his face.

"Okay I get it you're not in the mood. Point taken,."

"What the hell is this Damon? Where the hell are we?"

"A million questions you could have asked and you decided to chose that one. Seriously?"

"Stop screwing with me Damon. What the hell was that back in the tunnels? And what the hell is this place?"

"That's something I wish I knew. I'm still trying to figure out the answers to those questions myself."

"Great. Just perfect. Now we're stuck here."

"I wouldn't go that far. I at least have some information about the thing that's keeping us here."

"Well at least that's a start. Tell me what you know."

"Well I know this whole twisted landscape is a part of her many mind manipulation talents. This all belongs to her."

"I'm sorry, her? From what I saw in that vault that thing was no girl."

"I'm not sure if she has other forms besides the two I saw her in, but I can tell you for sure her second form defiantly isn't as horrid as her first."

"Well I'm glad that you think so-" A voice said from behind them.

Damon's body tensed up in sheer terror as the voice reached his ears like iced water. Turning around slowly and cautiously he expected Sybil to be standing there just as gorgeous and as deadly as she had been the first time he had met her, but as he took a closer look at the woman before him he noticed that this woman was not Sybil or at least not as far as he could tell.

The woman before him was just as beautiful as Sybil and Elena had been with her long blonde hair that curled in ringlets down her back as her silver eyes bored into his. The short dress she wore clung to every curve she had as well as exposed a fair amount of cleavage like she was just begging for a guy to explore the temple that was her body. Her red lips curled in a gut wrenching smile as she stepped closer to Damon: her lips touching his ear as she whispered...

"See something you like?"

The voice was like ice cold water that coursed through his veins as the sound of her chilling laughter filled the air. Damon jumped back towards Enzo wanting some type of protection away from this woman. This deceptive, Vile woman who had tricked him once again.

Sybil belted out her whimsical laugh as Enzo looked between the two of them wondering what the hell was going on. If only he knew.

"Sybil." he spitted out, the name feeling like acid on his lips.

"So hostile, Damon. Why is that by the way? I thought you would admire the form I decided to take this time, but then again a little birdie once told me you preferred cute little brunette types so maybe I should manifest as her the next time you see me."

"Don't you even dare. You vile, grotesque piece of trash." Damon said narrowing his eyes at the creature who ever thought she could compare to Elena.

Before Damon knew it he was launched to a nearby tree and groaned when he hit it hard falling to the course, harsh earth. That was defiantly going to hurt in the morning.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Enzo asked turning towards Sybil.

"That my darling is the gifts of living for eternity."

"Who are you?"

Sybil grinned from ear to ear moving closer towards Enzo as her finger splayed across his chest in a seductive gesture.

"I'm so glad you asked sweetie. My name is Sybil and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I wish I could say the same." Enzo said trying to pull her wrist off to no anvil.

"Oh honey. Do you really think hurting me is that easy? I just threw your friend over there with no more than a single thought, don't think that just because you're cute I won't do the same to you."

"You truly are something else. You know that?"

"Oh I'm definitely something. I guess you and your friend will have a lot of time to figure that out." And than like that she was gone.

"Bloody hell."

Damon groaned as Enzo went over to him and helped him up.

"Thank you." Damon said before Enzo punched him causing him to fall to the ground once more.

"What the hell was that about?"

"Oh let's see. It must be something about getting my soul sucked out by God knows what and trapped here where I can't get to Bonnie or anyone else we know."

"Listen I know it might have been a bad idea but-"

"But nothing now we're both stuck here with no way out, because you just had to find Elena when you know perfectly well where she was at. They didn't take her Damon. She's alright."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw Elena, Enzo. She's here. She's really here."

"What are you talking about Damon?"

"She was here. Sybil has her here and I'm not sure how she does, but we've talked and God I've missed her so much Enzo. I don't care how I saw her again all I know is that I want to do it again."

"Damon, I know that losing Elena has been hard for you and maybe I haven't been the most understanding about it, but she's not here. She can't be. And have you forgotten the person that we're up against? She can turn into whatever she wants to whenever she wants to. How do you know that who you saw is the real Elena?"

"I just feel it Enzo. I can't explain it. You just have to trust me on this one."

"Well I;m not trusting it's Elena that you're seeing Damon. Obviously whatever this creature is she can get into your head which means she can just as easily pick up on information that Elena would know from what she can find in your mind. Be smart about this Damon. Don't trust anything you see while you are here. It'll be easier for you It will be easier for you in the long run that way."

Damon rolled his eyes trying not to show his frustration. He knew what Enzo was saying was rational, but he didn't want to believe that what he was saying could be real. It had felt so real when he had talked to Elena. When he had held her body in his arms. It was her no matter how absurd it sounded. He just needed to see her again. He just needed it to be real or else he didn't know how he would survive this.

"Listen I know I'm not telling you what you want to hear right now, but I don't want you to fool yourself into thinking that your girl is back. You'll get her back someday and when that happens you'll be ready for it, but for right now we need to find a way out of here and I need you more focused now then you ever have been. Elena doesn't matter especially right now. Do you understand?"

Damon nodded feeling a crushing feeling in his chest as Enzo sighed.

"Come on let's go try to find a way out of here."

Damon looked back as he followed Enzo's retreating form hoping that they could find their way out of here. No longer how long it took for them to do so.


End file.
